


I Think I'm Falling Hard

by smileformemylovely



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Baker Harry, Bottom Louis, Cheating, Fluff, Louis and Zayn are an acoustic duet, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mentally Ill Harry, Revenge, Singer songwriter louis, Tiny Louis, Top Harry, harry falls heads over heels at once, larry stylinson - Freeform, liam is a lil Zayn fangirl, niall is just niall, nick and Harry dated, ziam
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-25
Updated: 2015-09-27
Packaged: 2018-04-11 04:39:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4421690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smileformemylovely/pseuds/smileformemylovely
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis is dating Colin. Harry's a baker who makes his birthday cake. Harry falls for Louis and Louis seems to reciprocate. Louis and Zayn are The Other Direction, an acoustic duet Liam loves. </p><p>Updated when I can.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Would You Like Cream with That?

The first time Harry Styles ever meets Louis Tomlinson, he is ordering a cake for his boyfriend. 

Harry comes up to the front of the shop he's managing, Pat's Patisserie, which is a stupid name Harry thinks, but doesn't say, because Pat never comes in and leaves Harry with full run of the shop, along with the various employees, none of which are here on the quiet Wednesday morning. There's a young man in the shop, around Harry's age, all grey beanie and purple hoodie pushed up to reveal small tattoos on his forearms, dark hair hanging in front of his eyes as he inspects the various pastries in the case. 

"Oops, sorry mate, didn't hear the door." He smiles at the short tattooed man, and raises his eyebrows as he goes to wash his hands in the small sink behind the counter. 

Startled, the man jumps and looks at Harry, blue-grey eyes crinkling as he grins. 

"Oh, hi. No problem, just perusing a little bit. Lovely shop you got here. Haven't had a good napoleon since I moved out of my mum's house. Are you the infamous Pat?" 

The man's twinkling grin knocks Harry's breath away. He wipes his hands on his apron in nervous habit before smiling at the customer. 

"Thanks, special recipe all the way from France. Nah, I'm Harry, Pat, he, uh, owns the place." 

The man quirks a brow. "Harry." And the way he says it Harry doesn't want anyone else to ever say his name again. "Louis. I'm actually interested in ordering a sheet cake, for about, oh, twenty mates or so? Can you do that? It's at the end of the month."

Harry rolls 'Louis' around on his tongue silently, wondering how it would sound moaning it out loud. 

"Course. It'll be a half sheet, perfect for twenty people and some leftover. Having a party?" 

Louis fidgets with his hoodie ties, noticing how they hung just off. Harry looks at his hands while he does, taking in his small wrists are, and how delicate his wrists look beneath the purple of his sleeves. 

"Boyfriends turning twenty five in a month. Wanted something small. Last year I took him to a club...wasn't really his thing. Sounds great. What flavours do you have?" 

Harry blinks and, internally, shakes his head. 'Get with it, Styles.' He pulled out a menu book and set it on the counter, opening it to the page with the different flavour cake and frosting combinations. 

"Here we are. What is he into? We have some pretty wild flavors, or perhaps he's into something more vanilla?" 

That comes out differently then Harry had intends, and Louis smirks a little, and God, that's hot. He smiled weakly, and mumbles something. 

"Colin isn't too wild, perhaps strawberry and cream? Is that good?" 

It isn't Harry's favorite, but it's a good solid flavor. Perfect for a good solid dependable Colin. 

"It's pretty popular, especially now when I can use fresh berries in the batter." 

Louis smiles. "But not your favorite." 

Harry raises his eyebrows. "Uhm, no actually. I prefer something less...boring." 

Louis taps his finger on the laminated page above salted caramel chocolate. "Which is your favorite?" 

Harry looks at him, then puts his pointer finger on the one above Louis', a hairbreadth away. "Chocolate habanero. I use chocolate and peppers from Mexico." He moves his finger over to the one next to it. "Or passion fruit mango. It's an Italian buttercream so it leaves a different mouthfeel then the others." 

Louis' smirk got a little bigger. "Mouthfeel, hmm? I'm afraid those are too exotic for him. Strawberries and cream sounds good." 

Harry looks at him and pulls a different folder out, opens it to the back and removes the order form. 

"Alright. I have some information I need from you, and then it'll be ready in a month. You can make any changes, as long as I get 72 hours notice, for free, and up to 24 for a fee. Cancellations up to two weeks can get you a refund, but after that there's a charge. Name?" 

"Forgot my name already, curly? I'm offended." Louis pouts and Harry wants to kiss it away. 

"Full name, Louis. For the form." He taps the pen on the page. 

"Louis Tomlinson." 

"Phone number to reach you at?" 

Louis rattles off a string of numbers. "This is a surprise, Colin will probably think it's a waste, he said he was good with a supermarket cake. A supermarket cake, curly. So that's my mobile, you keep that the utmost secret, agent curls." 

Harry puts a serious look on his face. "Of course, I'll guard it with my life. So we have a half sheet, strawberries and cream, would you like whipped cream frosting or buttercream. It's such a delicate sponge I recommend the cream." 

And Harry hadn't meant it to sound dirty but apparently everything sounds dirty to Louis, because he smirks yet again. "You do? You recommend your cream? That sounds...perfect." 

"Doesn't your face hurt from all that smirking?" Harry asks as he jots whipped cream in his messy handwriting. 

The smirk gets wider. "I spent years perfecting this smirk. Years, Harry. I intend to die smirking, lay in my coffin smirking and greet the other side smirking. Is it...bothering you?" Louis quirks a brow, holding his gaze. Harry drops it and smiles. 

"Just curious. No need to get defensive. Now for this cake and frosting, I recommend fresh strawberries on top, in lieu of buttercream or fondant decorations. I can do them, if you have your heart set on a buttercream butterfly or fondant rose." 

"Could you do a fondant replica of the male crotchal region?" 

Harry blinks and looks up from the folder. He realizes a second later that Louis is smirking again, pushing his eyes into crinkles and his mouth into dimples and Harry has to wonder how someone so...innocent looking could have such a perverted mind. He decides to indulge the man standing across from him. 

"Of course. Do you have a size/shape preference? We might need some reference photos, you could provide them, or we could pull them off the internet. We also have penis gummies we use for bridal showers..." 

Louis grins, apparently glad Harry has a sense of humor. Harry wonders if Colin would appreciate the joke, or if he would've been mortified. "Joking, curly. Colin would have a heart attack. Fresh berries are good. Could you write 'Happy 25th Birthday, Colin' on it? In red?" 

Harry crooked a grin at him. That answers that question. "Course. So we have flavor, size, decorations, and I just need a pick up date." 

"The thirty-first? How late are you open til?" 

Harry frowns."Friday's? We close at...6. Is that a good time?"

Louis grins. "6 is perfect." 

Harry jots a few final notes down on the form before sliding into the slot for the last week of July. "Excellent. Will you be paying now or at pick up?" 

"I'll pay now. Could I get some of those napoleons, a few elephant ears, and a small assortment of petit fours as well?" 

Harry turns and grabs a box, before filling it with treats, before hesitating and grabbing a cupcake and placing it along side the other ones. "It's our chocolate habanero cupcake. On the house." 

He goes over to the till, and taps in the orders "Half sheet of strawberries and cream, that is...fifty four pounds, assorted pastries come to six pounds and thirty cents, your total comes to sixty pounds thirty cents."

Louis pulls out his wallet, counted out seven ten pound notes, and handed it over, telling Harry to keep the change. He smiles at Harry, and then Harry hands over the box, and their hands brush, Louis' slightly warmer. Harry's fells his heart stop, drop and roll, and he looks at Louis who is looking at the box, where Harry's hand had grazed Louis'. Louis blinks and shakes his head, before smirking up to the taller man. He turns and heads towards the door. Harry watches him walk past the bread rack before turning and and fixing up the case where he had grabbed the best pastries for Louis' box. 

"Hey, Harry." 

Harry looks up, startled, to where Louis is about to step out into the drizzle of the gloomy London morning. "Thanks for the cupcake." He grins, and holds Harry's gaze. Harry smiles back, before a passing pigeon coos and seems to remind Louis he is leaving. The pigeon reminds him of the real world, his solid boyfriend Colin, and a life beyond the baker in Pat's Patisserie and he ducks his beanie covered head and raises a hand to Harry, dashing out to his car parked in front of the shop. Harry leans back onto the counter where they keep bags and boxes, before pulling out his phone and sending a text to his roommate. 

'Having a crisis. Emergency lunch??? Cafe on 6?? Plz my treat.'


	2. Feelings and Tea

Liam meets Harry at their favorite cafe. Harry sits at a sidewalk table, worrying a packet of sugar between his fingers. As soon as his two afternoon people had arrived at eleven, he had dashed out, claiming a meeting. Or food poisoning. Or something other then the fact Harry had spent the past two hours floating through his work, completely ruining Lou Teadales' baby shower cake, and having to redo it, all because of Louis fucking Tomlinson. He bounces his black skinny jean clad knee, checking his phone for texts from Liam or Niall, whom he also texted in crisis, but the blond was home in Ireland for the weekend, and could only send his sympathy. Harry didn't need fucking sympathy. He needed cold stone reality. 

The waitress brings his tea, Earl Grey, two sugars,and a titch of cream. He stirs it absentmindedly, studying his menu, definitely not thinking about Louis Tomlinson and his damn smirk. He doesn't see his roommate had slid across from him.   
"Anything good on the menu? They still have that panini I like?" Liam raises his brow at Harry's expression as he lifts his head. 

"What's got you in tiff, mate?" 

Harry sips his tea, and pushes his menu away, not hungry. 

"This customer came in today. He kept...flirting with me." 

Liam looks up with an incredulous look on his face. "A customer flirted with you? That was the emergency? I need to be studying, Harry. I have a major exam tomorrow for organic chem." 

Harry gives Liam a look. "Studying? Don't you mean looking up photos of The Other Direction, so you can fantasize over Zach?" 

"Zayn." Liam clears his throat. "His name, it's uh, Zayn." 

Harry rolls his eyes. "Whatever. You weren't studying, you were obsessing over Zayn. And I need help because we had a... a moment." 

"A moment." 

"A moment. Stop judging me." 

The waitress comes up and Liam shakes his head and rolls his eyes, before placing his order of a panini and fries, side of mayo. 

"And you sir?" The redhead gives Harry a flirty look, but Harry doesn't even notice, just orders his salad and soup. "You're disgusting, Liam." 

"Don't knock it, Harry." The waitress takes her leave, a little put out the tall, shaggy man hadn't given her notice. "So you had a moment? What kind of moment? The kind where you're making out in the walk in? The kind where he blows you in an alley?" 

Harry gets a little uncomfortable and tugs at his collar. "Uhm, not exactly." Maybe this wasn't a good idea, consulting his best friend about some guy flirting with him. "Maybe I'm being a tad dramatic. It was just...our hands touched, and there was this...feeling. And he felt it too, I think." 

Liam twirls his spoon in his coffee. "Your hands touched." 

Harry buries his head in his hands. "I'm so dramatic, I know." 

Liam shrugs. "I think you need to get laid actually. When was the last time you had a shag?" 

Harry blushes, redness creeping beneath his white t shirt to his cheeks. "Well, uhm, it's been, oh, 9 months." 

Liam chokes on his coffee. "Nick? Nick was your last shag? You haven't gotten laid since Nick?"

Harry stammers. "I just haven't been interested. And there's nothing wrong with a bit of a dry spell. That break up was really hard on me, Liam. You of all people should know that." 

Nick Grimshaw is a popular radio show host. Harry met Nick when he was twenty, right after he had started at Pat's. He had delivered some goodies and coffee to Nick's studio early in the morning, and had happened to catch the shock talk host's eye. They dated for two years, before Nick dropped him for some blond model that Harry suspected had the iq of a rabbit. This was proven when he spent the entire time Nick was explaining how he and Francois had fallen in love, by calling Harry 'Horton', and eating nothing but three carrots because lettuce and bread makes you fat.'

Liam sighs and sips his tea. "So you had a moment with a flirty customer. Call him up, grab a drink and fuck his brains out. Problem solved." 

Harry clears his throat, and shifts in his seat. The waitress brings their food and tops off their drinks, sending toothy smiles and flirty eyes to Harry, who finally realizes the redhead's attention. He gives her an uncomfortable smile and looks down at his tea, before picking at his salad. She flitters off, apparently glad Harry had finally looked at her. Harry puts down his fork and looks at Liam, eating his panini and looking at his phone. Zayn must have tweeted something, because Liam was making heart eyes at his phone. 

"Problem not solved. He has a boyfriend."

Liam looks up, dropping mustard on to his green overshirt. "He told you that." 

"He was there ordering a cake for him. It wasn't like 'I have a boyfriend please stop being creepy' telling." 

"Were you? You know, being creepy?"

Harry drops his hands into his lap. "I gave him a cupcake." 

"A cupcake." 

"A cupcake. A chocolate habanero cupcake." 

Liam looks at him, curiously. "Your favorite." 

Harry nods. "A chocolate habanero cupcake. My favorite."

Liam purses his lips. "What does it mean?" 

Harry shrugs, messes with his spoon, pushes it through it his soup. "He called me curly." 

Liam shakes his head a little, leans back. "You hate being called curly." 

Harry shrugs. "It actually..." He shifts in his seat. "I didn't mind him calling me curly. Felt nice actually." 

"You hate being called curly." Harry give him a look, wrinkles his brow. "Yes, thank you, captain obvious. What's next, gonna tell me the queen is English?" 

Liam takes a bite of his panini, chews, swallows. "And then you had a moment." 

Harry sucks his teeth. "He smirked." 

"He smirked?"

"Like, five times."

"Five." 

"Then he called me curly. He came in, flirted a little, ordered a cake for his boyfriend, flirted some more, smirked a bunch of times, I gave him a cupcake, we touched fingers, had a moment, he left, but gave me a look and thanked me for the cupcake." 

"The chocolate habanero cupcake. Your favorite." 

"The chocolate habanero cupcake. My favorite." 

Liam puts a fry in his mayo, sips his drink. "What kind of look?" 

Harry gives him an exasperated look. "I don't know, a look." 

"Just a look." 

Harry does a little shrug and eyebrow quirk. "Just a look. A grin actually." 

"A grin is different then a look." 

"What about a grin and a look? Or a grin then a look? Or it was actually a look then a grin." 

Liam shakes his head. "Here's an idea. Come out with me tonight." Harry started to protest. Liam grinned. "I know you took tomorrow off to visit with Gemma. I also know Gemma had an emergency and can't make it. No excuses. The Other Direction is opening in some dive bar downtown. I have two tickets. You're coming." 

Harry gives him an accusatory look. "You...you planned this didn't you? This is all a trick. There is no emergency, you just want me to go out."

Liam grins. "You got me, curly. You just work or sleep lately. Come out, see a cool band, meet a cute guy. It'll be fun, I promise."

Harry narrows his eyes at Liam, but before he can say anything, the waitress comes up. "Any dessert for you gentlemen today?" She grins at Harry, who looks up at her awkwardly. "No, just the check, please." He half smiles at her and she flounces away. 

"Too bad you're a Kinsey 6, otherwise the redhead would've definitely gotten you laid tonight," Liam comments, pushing away his food and checking his phone. "Gotta go study, like actual study if we're going out. Six, yea? I'll drive. Don't be late or I'll burn your headscarves." 

"You wouldn't dare," Harry growls. "Fine. Six. I'll even wear something nice." Liam grins and stands, stretches his back. "Have a good afternoon, see ya later mate." He turns and heads towards the parking lot, leaving Harry to glare at his half eaten soup. The waitress brings over the check, and before she leaves, Harry clears his throat. 

"Yes?" She says, batting her eyelashes, and flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. Harry clears his throat and hands over his card. "Oh." She seem slightly disappointed, but grabs the card and the check and disappears into the door. Harry is left alone with the thought of Louis Tomlinson sitting at the table, a stupid smirk on his face. Maybe Liam's right, he thinks. He should get laid. He wonders where The Other Direction is playing and if there will be gay guys there, someone to take home and forget about blue grey eyes and delicate wrists, or dark hair and thin lips. He puts his hands in his hair, pulls it back, let's it fall behind his shoulders. The waitress comes back, hands him his card and receipt, with the same flirty smile and another hair flip. "Have a nice day, sir," she says, her teeth showing, and laughter in her eyes. "You too, miss," Harry says. He grabs his beat up leather shoulder bag and stands up, stretches and heads towards his car. 

It wasn't until he gets to his car that he looks at his receipt, Diana, a phone number and 'call me ;)' glaring up at him in purple ink. He chuckles and throws the receipt in his dashboard holder, before driving away.


	3. Tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry runs into Louis at a concert. Harry wear tight leather jeans and Louis just wants to be his teenage dream.

Harry's not sure what cosmic joke is being played on him, but he hopes fate or karma or God or whom or what ever is up there is having a good laugh. 

He showed up with Liam to the dive bar, a sketchy place called Alberto's, awash with all walks of the LGBT community, dressed in his sheer, black, loose fitting and partially unbuttoned shirt, tight black leather pants, and sparkly boots he found at a thrift shop in Manchester, to find that the other part of the The Other Direction, was none other then one Louis fucking Tomlinson. His hoodie discarded, a Black Sabbath tank and some tight blue jeans shows a small frame with a big fucking deer on his arm. He was tuning his guitar on stage, giggling with a tall, dark, and handsome man whom Harry recognized as Zayn, the object of Liam's affections, and currently his attention as they pass over the tickets to the buff man at the door. 

"Liam!" Harry hisses. "You didn't tell me the other half was Louis Tomlinson! What the fuck, mate!" Liam shoots him a surprised look. "No, it never came up. Why does it matter?" 

Harry steers them over to the bar where a tan girl is tending bar. "Hey, Daniella," Liam greets. She turns and smiles. "Liam! How did I know you'd be here tonight!" Liam grins and shrugs. "The usual, love." Daniella smiles and pours a something dark into a glass, pushing it across the bar to Liam. 

"Tequila shot," Harry grunts out. She pours the shot and slides it over to Harry, who knocks it back. "New blood, Liam?" She asks. 

"This is the other roomie," Liam says. "He's been mopey these past few months, bad break up." Harry elbows Liam in the ribs, sends him a glare. "Sorry, Harry, she knows all about you," Liam explains. Daniella grins at him. "So you're Harry, nice to meet you. Would you like to open a tab?" 

"Just put it all on mine," Liam tells her. She nods. "Anything else for you, loves?" 

"Plate of nachos, and a water." Liam turns towards Harry. "What about you?" Harry blinks from where he was looking up at the small stage, shakes his head. He turns towards the bartender. "Something light on tap, and a water as well," he says. Harry looks back up stage, where he sees Louis do a double take at the bar. He quirks a brow, and grins, before turning to Zayn and whispering something and pointing in Harry's direction. 

"So, how do you know Louis?" Liam asks as Daniella steps away, pouring Harry's drink and tapping in an order on a screen. She puts the glass in front of Harry, nods and moves on to the bear of a man who catches her eye and raises an empty stein. Harry gives Liam a look. "He's the guy. From this morning. The one you brought me here to forget, remember?" Harry narrows his eyes and looks back up at stage, where Louis is watching him, eyes crinkled. 

Liam sputters. "You, you never told me his name, asshole! You served Louis? He's the flirty smirking customer you shared a moment with." Liam throws his head back and laughs. "It's not funny, Liam!" Harry hisses. Daniella drops off a plate of nachos and their waters with a smile. "Hey, Daniella," Liam smirks. "Send Louis and Zayn a drink on me. Tell Louis it's from Harry." Harry gives an incredulous look to Liam. "You got it, Li." Daniella moves gracefully, pouring Cokes into a beer glass and putting it on a tray, stepping away from the bar to go to the stage.

Harry drops his head to the bar. "I'm going to murder you. He has a boyfriend! I'm not a homewrecker, I'm not a Francois!" Liam laughs. "Louis is a flirt, Harry. His boyfriend knows that. He has to. It's a drink. Just to show you remember him." Harry turns his head and looks at the grinning Liam. He moves his head slightly as Daniella drops off the drinks to the stage, Louis' grin turning to a smirk and looking over at Harry, who raises his head and fiddles with his hair. He looks back and Louis is still smirking. He raises the glass to Harry and winks. 'Thanks,' Louis mouths. Harry slides some semblance of a smile on his face and nods, putting his hand up to wave at Louis. 

Daniella comes back over. "He said thanks, curly. He also wants you guys to come see them at the merch table after the set and they come out and meet people." Liam lights up and grabs Harry's arm. "I knew you coming would be a great idea." 

"Glad you're enjoying my pain, Liam. Please sleep with one eye open tonight." Harry takes a drink and snags a nacho off of Liam's plate. 

"Hello, Alberto's! Welcome back! We are The Other Direction! I'm Louis, and this piece of hot shit next to me is Zayn. We're hoping you guys are all ready for us. For those of you who don't know, we're an acoustic duet, and a wee bit slower then most of the bands that play here, so we're very excited for the opportunity. We hope you enjoy the show!" Louis voice fills the small bar, where people are looking at him and grinning, anticipation filling the air. Zayn's voice comes up next.

"We're gonna start with an original piece, 18. We hope you like it." His voice is more musical and Liam gets heart eyes as he looks at him. "You're drooling," Harry whispers in his ear. Liam rubs at his mouth frantically, causing Harry to laugh as Louis and Zayn fill the space with their quiet music, harmonizing and soloing as the notes rise and fall. Harry has to admit it, they're pretty good. He sees why Liam likes them so much. He watches Louis as his fingers pluck out notes that hit Harry in his heart. He stares at Louis through the next three songs, as the applause and songs fill the bar, Louis' eye closing and opening and looking out at the crowd, his eyes flicking towards Harry more times then he can count. His beer is gone and Daniella clears the glass and places another one on the coaster but Harry doesn't even notice. 

"Alright, next song is called No Control! It's a bran d new one we've been working on, we hope you like it!" Louis sounds excited and he and Zayn share a laugh before Louis moves his fingers up towards the strings and plays. Harry is a little shocked. It isn't a fast song but the lyrics are full of double entendres and references and Louis' solos sound...well to Harry they sound like pure sex, morning sex, soft lovemaking in dawn sex. He falls in love with the song. When it's over, the crowd cheers, and Louis grins and chuckles. 

"Thanks, guys! That was a new one off our Take Me Home album, available in the back. Now for a cover, a favorite of dear old Zayn here..." Zayn laughs and pokes Louis in the stomach. "...alright maybe my favorite! But this goes out to curly in the back. I see those skin tight jeans!" He points and Daniella motions to Harry, grinning. 

Harry blushes and hides his face in Liam's shoulder as everyone turns and looks at him, more then a few eyebrows going up. "You're welcome, curly, sorry to your boyfriend." Harry meets Louis' eyes and shakes his head as Liam looks mortified and Zayn looks a bit downtrodden. "Not your boyfriend? Alright, well good luck tonight then, curly!" Louis grins at him and Harry flicks him off. "That's not nice! Got a wild one here!" Louis laughs, a pretty, high, tinkling thing that lodges in Harry's throat. He starts to pick out on his guitar the first few notes of Teenage Dream. "You think I'm pretty..." And Harry and Louis make eye contact and Louis doesn't look away until halfway towards the song when there's a small guitar solo and Louis looks down at his fingers and Harry calls over Daniella again. 

"What can I do for you, hmm, curly?" She asks. Harry buries his head in hands. "Just a coke, please," he mumbles out, feeling the beer and tequila hit him. Liam rubs his shoulder and Harry looks at him, glaring. "Looks like you might get laid after all, Harry. Lots of guys here..." But Harry shakes his head. "I don't want to get laid, Liam. I want to go." Liam grins. "Oh no, I drove, we got invited to hang out with Zayn, we're staying." Harry groans and looks back up on stage where Louis is smirking and singing and man that's hot and Harry hates it because Louis has a boyfriend and should not be looking at Harry that way. The duo ends on a final, perfectly harmonized 'tonight' and silence falls over the crowd as the last note reverberates through the bar and Harry's chest and soul, before it goes wild, cheering and applauding. Louis and Zayn stand and Louis bows, dramatically, as Zayn waves out to the crowd. Harry had been so focused on Louis, he hadn't even noticed Zayn flickering his eyes to where he and Liam had been sitting, glancing his pretty, dark eyes at Harry's roommate.

"You all were such a good crowd! Come see us in the back! We love you!" Louis screams into the mike, blowing kisses and waving as Zayn trundles off stage carrying a stool and his guitar. "Five Seconds of Summer are next! Give them as much love as you gave us! Mwah!" Louis grins out over the crowd and catches eyes with Harry. He points off stage to a small table with a girl with multicolored streaks in her hair stands behind it, displaying shirts and CDs and buttons that Harry hadn't noticed before. He shoots a thumbs up to Louis and Louis crinkles his eyes in a way that makes Harry's heart flip and walks off stage with just a guitar, Zayn hurrying back on to grab Louis' stool. 

Harry taps Liam on his shoulder. "He wants to meet over there," he says, jerking a thumb towards the table. Liam grins and they grab their drinks and head towards the table. There's a queue of people passing over money and buying shirts, but it dies down as soon as Louis and Zayn appear, empty handed but a pen, for autographs and photos. When the table's empty of fans, Liam and Harry approach. 

"Oh hey! You must be curly and his friend. Lou texted saying you might show up. I'm Perrie, roadie, merch girl, whatever is needed." She talks fast and grins the whole time. Harry gives her a nervous smile. "It's Harry, actually. Harry Styles. This is Liam." Perrie gives Liam an up and down look, taking in his graffitied The Other Direction shirt and black jeans. "Liam, you're the guy Zayn always looks out for." 

Harry smirks. "He's a huge fan, especially of Zayn." It's Liam's turn to elbow him in the ribs. Harry puts his lips against Liam's ear. "Paybacks a bitch." Liam glares and pretends to look over buttons that say 'No Control' while Harry browses through the CDs, picking up Take Me Home, the album Louis had mentioned on stage. Perrie chitters away, fixing shirts and restocking some things. He pulls out his wallet pulls out a tenner and gives it to Perrie, who grins and talks about how great it is.

"Curly! Didn't know you were a fan! Would've said something this morning!" Louis' voice flows over the tops of their head and Liam and Harry turn. Louis and Zayn are a foot away, Louis grinning and Zayn with a strange expression, looking at Liam in front of him. Harry shrugs. "I've never heard any of your music, I got dragged here by Liam. But I'm glad I did. This is Liam by the way." Louis shakes hands with Liam and introduces Zayn, who peels his eyes off Liam for a second to shake Harry's hand, and returns them to grip Liam's hand tightly. "Louis mentioned the baker who's making Colin's cake is pretty good looking. Even said he might be my type." But Zayn doesn't look at Harry the whole sentence, just peers at Liam, taking in his The Other Direction shirt and jeans Harry convinced him to buy at the same thrift shop he bought his boots at. Liam gets a smile that reminds Harry of a baby passing gas. Harry smiles uncomfortably. "Ah, I'm alright. All looks though. Liam here, he's the whole package. If you're looking for the right type, Liam here, he's A plus." Zayn looks Liam up and down and nods in agreement, causing the broad male to blush. "Maybe we should talk then, Liam. Let me figure out the...whole package?" 

Liam blushes and Zayn smirks, sexy and beautiful at the same time and if Harry didn't know for a fact Liam was attracted to someone for the first time since Sophia destroyed his heart freshmen year of college, he would've immediately had a crush on him. "Would you like to get a drink, mate? They've some good ones here," Zayn asks, directing the question at Liam. Liam nods, trying to look cool but failing. "You mind, Louis?" He glances at the smaller male, who's hasn't said a word the whole time, just had this sneaky smile on his face, and glanced between the three of them, mostly looking at Harry's rings on his fingers, or Liam's tattoos peeking out his shirt sleeve, or Zayn's facial expressions. 

Louis shakes his head. "Not if Harry here will help me sell merch, yea? I'll release Perrie, just come relieve me in half an hour?" He glances at Harry expectedly and Harry finds himself nodding. He should say no, should tell Liam that he'll grab a cab and should head home and drink but he can't, and now he's stuck with Louis Tomlinson, a flirty specimen designed by God as a gift to guys everywhere. Louis grins. "Great! Go grab a drink, boys!" Liam hesitates but holds a hand out towards Zayn, who looks surprised but takes and smiles. They walk to the bar and order drinks, before heading to a secluded table in the back, Harry and Louis watching. 

"Thank god. Zayn met him once, took a selfie with him and always looks for him now. I swear, I think he printed that photo off and sleeps with it under his pillow. He gets disappointed if Liam's not here, actually. It's adorable. He didn't even know his name." Louis shakes his head, smiling. "Thanks, by the way. Here, let me give you a shirt." Harry starts to protest but Louis cuts him off. "So far today, you've given me a cupcake, agreed to sell merch for a duo you don't know, helped set up my best friend with the guy he's been crushing on, and let me embarrass you. It's the least I can do." He goes behind the table, motions Harry to follow him. "Perrie, get out of here. Daniella's off. Go spend some time with your girl," Louis says. Perrie grins and drops the money some person Harry can quite identify as a man or a woman gave her in the cash box and grins. She hugs Louis good bye and waves to Harry, who waves back. Louis chats with the person who has the same cd Harry has in his hand, and kisses them on the cheek. They leave and Louis goes through a plastic bucket and pulls out a purple graffitied shirt similar to Liam's and hands it to Harry. Harry tugs it over his black button up and puts his hands on his hips, looking down at the smaller male. 

"Does it look okay?" He asks. Louis grins and gives a thumbs up. "Ready for some fun, curly?" Louis asks. 

Harry hesitates, then nods, leaving Louis to crinkle his eyes in the sinful way Harry's grown to hate and love.


	4. Take Me Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louis gets drunk. Harry get embarrassed. Liam gets laid.

Harry actually has fun; talking with Louis and selling t shirts and CDs. Liam had described Louis as flirty but he isn't really; at least, not as much as he'd been in the store that morning. Except with Harry, that is, whipping out double entendres and snide comments left and right. Harry gets hit on a bit, and at one point he side eyes Louis when some blonde (who looks like buffer version of Niall and had donned a "Power Bottom" shirt, definitely not his type) asks if he can get into his skin tight jeans and let him be a teenage dream tonight. Louis had sucked his teeth and set his jaw, but had smiled the man into buying a shirt anyway. Harry hadn't looked at Louis when an Italian man came up and flirted with him, offered to buy him a drink, and explained he was only here for a night. He had flirted back at first, but one look at the ring finger tan had him giving the line of no one-night stands, especially with married men. The man kind of stormed off at that point but Harry didn't care, especially since Louis brightened up considerably after that. 

Fifteen minutes passes and four guys climb on stage and introduce themselves as 5 Seconds of Summer. The cute lead, Luke, (Harry thinks that's his name) is good with the crowd. Not as good as Louis, but fun. And cute. And has a great ass. The queue around them dies down and Louis and Harry sit on the buckets. 

"That shirt looks good on you," Louis says, giving him an up and down. Harry blushes a little and hopes Louis can't tell in the dim lighting, but apparently he can, given his smirk. 

"Thanks. They're really cool looking, by the way." 

Louis crinkles his eyes. "Zayn designed them. That's what he went to school for actually; graphic design. What about you? How old are you? Are you in school?" 

Harry is a little taken aback; being peppered with questions all of a sudden. "I'm 23. I was in school for fashion," Harry shrugs. "But I dropped out my junior year. It's a long story. I'm thinking about going back, but I haven't decided. You?" 

"25. I went to Cambridge? For music? I'm a long-term sub at some public school now, but because it's summer, I'm back at school, earning a teaching certificate so I can teach for real. Lots of fun. I love kids." Louis is grinning, and Harry swears the darkness around them lights up two notches just due to that. 

Harry smiles fondly. "I love kids, too. Grew up with an older sister. I've always wanted a big family." 

Louis nods. "I'm the oldest of 7. All girls but Ernest, who's a baby. It was great." 

"Your boyfriend want kids too? I bet they'd be cute." It's the first mention of Colin all night, and Harry almost regrets it, at the sight of Louis looking slightly guilty and uncomfortable. Almost. 

"No, he's an only child. His mum passed away, and he was just raised by his dad. He likes his, uh, his space. But I'm sure I'll get nephews or nieces or hopefully, a big houseful of children." Harry nods and debates asking the next question weighing on his mind, before Louis reaches into his pocket and pulls out his ringing phone. He quirks an eyebrow, gives Harry a regretful, apologetic look, and holds up a finger. Harry marvels at how his small hands are; wonders how they could play such beautiful music. He holds back the urge to compare their hands side by side.

Louis answers, "Hey, babe." He listens for minute, looking at Harry's shoes intently. Harry wiggles his feet and the sparkles catch the little light there is and dance for them. Louis smiles. "Yeah, show went great. Wanna pop over here for a drink? I think Zayn might need the house so I could just kip over at yours then after, yeah? Haven't slept over in a while..." Louis nods his head along with some soulful song - Amnesia, Harry thinks he made out over the screaming crowd - and taps his leather Converse. "No, I understand, love. Yeah, I'll just be here with a friend. Get some sleep." He nudges his foot against Harry's and Harry smiles at the action indulgently. "I love you, too. G'night." Louis sighs and hits the end button a little too forcefully. 

"Everything alright?" Harry nudges Louis' foot and Louis nudges back, an almost automatic response. 

"Yeah, he just had a long day. He's a CFO at some up and coming tech firm, and it's been hard. He doesn't like to come out after my shows. He's a bit of a homebody." Louis trails his toes along the outside of Harry's sparkly shoe, looking contemplative. Harry watches his action intently. They're both so absorbed they don't notice when Liam and Zayn come over, the darker haired man's arm slung around Liam's shoulders. Liam clears his throat and they look up, startled.

"You wanted us to come relieve you after half an hour, yeah? Here, we got you some drinks," Zayn says. Liam makes to pass Harry a coke and Louis some fruity, neon green drink that makes Harry raise his eyebrows. Harry grabs them both.   
Zayn and Liam step back in tandem to let Louis and Harry pass, and as Harry does he whispers to Liam, "Nice jacket." 

Liam blushes and Zayn rubs his thumb along the leather jacket Liam's wearing, the one that Zayn wore every show. "He got cold," Zayn mutters. Louis just quirks his brows at them.

Harry nudges Louis' shoulder and points his chin to the table Liam and Zayn abandoned. They sit and Louis offers Harry a sip of the potion-looking thing in front of him. Harry declines. "Sorry about your boyfriend. That really sucks." Louis shrugs and pulls a cherry out of his drink, sucking it off the stem.   
Harry grins. "Wanna see a magic trick?" Harry holds his hand out and Louis furrows his brow, raising the stem, questioning look on his face. Harry nods and Louis hands it over. Harry pops it in his mouth and works his jaw and his tongue, looking at Louis the whole time, who spends the minute staring at Harry's mouth. He pulls out the double-knotted cherry stem and Louis laughs. Harry's heart hurts. 

"Brilliant! Brilliant tongue! You must make the lads very happy!" He giggles and claps his hands, applauding. "Can you teach me?" Harry raises a brow and nods. Louis gets up, runs over to the bar, and returns with a cup of cherries and the same green alcoholic potion he has half drunk on the table before him. Louis downs the drink on the table and pulls a cherry off the stem, raising it and throwing it in his mouth. Harry attempts to teach Louis, but it mostly ends in them trying to toss the fruit in each other mouths. Louis misses more and more frequently after his fourth drink that the cute barman brings them.

The last cherry Louis ends up throwing hits Luke. The blonde had walked up to table and behind Harry, and Louis' attempt at hitting Harry in the eye turns into the cherry hitting Luke square in this face.   
"Whoops, sorry, mate! I'm a little drunk," Louis apologizes, a fake, drunk grin plastered on his face. Harry turns around; his eyes level with Luke's smiling snakebites.

"Hi, I'm Luke," he says. " I, uh, noticed you during The Other Direction's set?" Harry raises his eyebrows and smiles, nodding. He fiddles with his ring. Louis is still fake smiling, stripping cherries of their stems. 

"Yeah, you're the singer for 5sos? That's a odd name," Harry says, twisting his ring around his pointer finger. Luke smiles, pulling on his snakebites. Harry winces internally.

"Yeah, I can tell you about it over drinks. It's a funny story." He smiles and holds up two beers. "They actually gave me two drinks at the bar. Would you like to have one with me?" 

"Look at that; what a coinky-dink." Harry turns around to find all the stems (some half chewed) and fruit have been separated into two glasses and the fifth drink has been downed by Louis. "They gave him two." Louis pops a cherry in his mouth, chews, and swallows. "You like beer, curly? Maybe that's what I should've gotten. But I'm not a beer drinker. I prefer something more...exotic." Louis' voice gets low and Harry internally shudders at the memory of their hands touching. He turns back to Luke. 

"Sorry, mate, I, uh, don't really drink. And I'm here with Louis and he's drunk and I think he might be liable to hurt himself and you're really cute but I haven't gotten a drink with anyone in a hot minute and I'm rambling and I'm sorry, Luke." 

Luke shrugs and smiles. "That's fine. I understand." He leans in and murmurs, "He's way cuter then me." 

Harry blushes from his collarbones to his hairline. "Careful, I think he has an ego," he whispers back.

Suddenly Louis whisper-shouts, "I can hear you both and yes, I'm cute; much more then this fookin 'stralian douchebag, and yes, I have an ego, thanks for stroking it." He finishes and pops a cherry on his mouth, closing his eyes.

Harry's smile is apologetic and he says, "I don't know him." 

"Don't know me? You arse, you asked me for cock pics earlier! Don't know me, my nipple." Then Louis lays his head down. 

Harry hesitates but then internally says 'fuck it' and reaches out to touch Louis' hair, an 'are you okay' on his lips before Louis interrupts him. "Don't touch my hair. Actually do, yes, curly, pet me." 

Harry giggles and so does Luke before he puts the beer down. "Bye," he whispers to Harry and steals away to the bar to join up with the rest of his band, who all clap him on the shoulder and shoot him apologetic looks as his failed pick up becomes known. 

"I'm gonna go get you some water, then let's see about getting you home. Did you drive?" Harry hesitantly runs his fingers through Louis' hair and Louis seems to relax a bit.   
"No, Zayn is DD. Don't need water, just keep doing that." 

Harry sighs. "You'll feel better in the morning if I get some water in you, Louis." Louis looks up and pouts and again Harry feels the need to kiss him. 

"Fine. Then come back and pet me, curly." He puts his head back on the table, so Harry walks to the bar and orders two bottles of water on Liam's tab. On his way back, Liam calls him over. Zayn is heading toward the table where Louis is sitting. They have a whispered conversation and Louis wrinkles his nose and nods. 

Liam looks at Harry, hopeful. "Zayn drove Louis and all the stuff here. Could you give Louis a ride to his boyfriend's? We'll take the stuff. And uh, don't wait up for me." 

Harry gives Liam an incredulous look. "We came here to get me laid, why are you the one leaving with somebody?" Harry laughs.   
Liam looks startled. "Sorry mate, did that singer want to take you home? ‘Cause the house is empty and I'm sure Zayn wouldn't mind dropping Louis off or calling him a cab? I'm sorry, mate..." 

Harry laughs again and shakes his head. "Nah, I'm pretty tired. I'll drive him; it's cool. Go get laid." Liam blushes. He pulls his keys out of his pocket and passes then to Harry, who shoves them in his leather pants. Harry walks towards the table and on the way he passes Zayn. He stops and puts a hand on Zayn's shoulder and states, "Hurt him and I'll wrap one of those guitar strings round your neck, hmm? He's been through a lot. He doesn't need you fucking him over, yeah?"   
His voice is low and Zayn just looks at him before replying, "Hurt Louis and I'll make sure they never find a body, yeah, curly? And while there will be fucking, I won't fuck him over." 

Harry quirks an eyebrow. How could he hurt Louis? "Touché. Wear a condom." He nudges Zayn with his shoulder and they both laugh a little and move on.

"Here you go, Lou. Drink this and I'll take you to Colin's, yeah?" Harry stands by Louis' bar stool, notices the beer is half empty and moves it away from Louis.

Louis grabs his hand and places it forcefully back in his hair. "Pet me, curly. I'm a superstar, aren't I? Pet. Me." 

Harry sighs. "Drink up, yeah?" Louis opens the bottle and takes a draw, and Harry moves his hand through Louis' locks, who closes his eyes and sighs. 

"You look like a good cuddler." Louis downs the rest of the water and Harry hands him the other one, which Louis sips on, preening from Harry's hypnotized petting. 

Harry shrugs. "Ask Niall, my other roomie. He's the straightest guy I know sober but he's real cuddly when he's drunk. Always trying to climb in my lap. I swear, if I didn't know him I'd think he was hitting on me."   
Louis laughs and grins up at Harry. "He sounds great." 

Harry laughs as well and keeps tugging his fingers through Louis' hair. At one point his finger trails along Louis' cheek and Louis unconsciously leans into the touch. Harry's intoxicated, and not from the beer. "He is great. You two, you'd get along great. You have to meet him." Harry pauses. "Sorry for assuming. I just thought, we get along great and Liam and Zayn, well that doesn't seem to be going away, so I thought we could hang out. And I'm petting you. Sorry for assuming, I'm not that great I know..." Louis smiles and shakes his head. "I'll shut up."

Louis laughs."I'd love to be friends.   
Especially if you keep petting me like this." With that prompting Harry runs his fingers through Louis' hair some more, accidentally (on purpose) running his finger and thumb along Louis' cheek twice. 'Friends' hangs in front of them like a lead balloon. 

"I tend to have, what do they call it... Negative self-talk. I doubt myself a lot, I'm a little clingy, and I apologize too much. I'm sorry." 

Louis laughs again. "It's fine, curly." 

They sit there another minute, fingers trailing through hair until Harry says, in a low voice, "Let's get you to Colin's, yeah?" Louis nods. Harry runs his fingers through Louis' hair one more time and then they stand up. Louis stumbles a bit, and Harry grabs his elbow. He smiles. "Here, lean on me; that's a lad. Drink that water, don't get it on me!" Louis giggles and Harry's wraps an arm around his waist. Just for support, he tells himself. Not because he wants to get closer to Louis.   
They go to the bar and the guy manning the last few customers waves them away. "That cute one, he paid your tab. Tipped well too. You're good to go." He winks at Harry and Louis giggles. 

"He thinks we're gonna fuck!" And this is apparently the funniest thing ever because Louis dissolves into giggles next to him, clinging to a mortified Harry. "He thinks we're gonna shag. I wish! I’ve got a stick in the mud boyfriend. Harry here is more exotic! He'd be great in the sack!" Louis turns to Harry. Harry starts looking for Liam but the table's all cleared off and he's no where to be found. Harry prays for a black hole to appear and swallow him. "He's a great petter,” Louis continues, “and he loves cuddles! He's good in the sack, too, I bet! He'd be a good boyfriend." Louis turns to the barman and if Harry didn’t have Louis leaning on him, he'd have gone to the wall and started banging his head. "You got a boyfriend, mate? Wanna get laid?" Louis asks. 

The barman laughs. "I've got a boyfriend, mate. Maybe a year ago. But anyway, he's not my type." 

Louis frowns. "Curly should be everyone's type! If I wasn't with some old stick, he'd be my type!" 

Harry turns bright red and tugs Louis' arm. "C’mon, Louis..." 

Louis giggles. "I think I embarrassed him. Did I embarrass you, curly?" He hiccups and giggles again. "I'm sorry; you're just so cute when you blush." Harry tries to will away a blush that forms on his cheekbones as he drags Louis out of the bar. "Bye, cute bar guy!" Louis shouts. "I'm gonna go cuddle Harry!" The barman shakes his head and laughs loudly as they leave.   
Harry steers the giggling Louis towards Liam's car. "Louis, we're going to Colin's, Remember?" He opens the car door and maneuvers Louis in.   
Louis crosses his arms and pouts. "But I want cuddles. And pets. And Colin doesn't want that. Take me to your house." Harry shakes his head and heads over to his side. Louis has drowsy eyes and blinks slowly up at him, giving Harry a sleepy smile. "We're gonna cuddle so hard, Harry."   
Harry opens a notification from an unknown number and smiles back at Louis. "No, we're going to Colin's. I promised Zayn."   
Louis giggles. "Zayn's so pretty, right? I wish I was pretty like Zayn." Louis turns a sad sleepy look on Harry. "Am I pretty like Zayn? And like Niall? Niall sounds pretty too. You're so pretty, Harry." 

Harry punches the address that Zayn (who had figured that Louis would be too drunk to navigate) had texted him into his GPS. He also had said in the text that Louis has a key and Colin should still be awake, but if not, Louis' bedroom is upstairs and on the left. Harry frowns at the ''Louis' bedroom.' 'They don't share a bed? That's odd,' he thinks.   
Harry looks at Louis, who had fallen asleep. He blinks and smiles softly. "Yeah, Louis, you're pretty. Prettier than Zayn. This Colin guy..."He whispers into the silence, answering Louis' earlier questions. Harry hesitates, then reaches over and runs his hand through Louis' hair again, savoring the moment; sure that when Louis wakes up he'll feel ashamed of hitting on Harry, of asking him to pet him, and won't want to see him again. "You're amazing. You deserve all the cuddles life can give you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello :3 
> 
> Thank you everyone for all the nice comments they always make me day and make me cry I love all y'all. <3 
> 
> My tumblr is smileformemylovely as well, I cry about Louis a lot you should follow me! 
> 
> I have chapter five written I just need to edit, I should post it later this week! Chapter six is started as well. Check back!


	5. Of Green Eyed Men and Blue Eyed Dolls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louis discovers a secret and Harry tries to pick up the pieces.

Harry pulls up to the address on the map app. Louis is passed out next to him. The house is dark, except for a light on and people moving behind a shade on the top left side. There's two cars parked in front of the house, a nice red one and a kinda beat up white one. 'Two cars? That's weird. Are we at the right house?' He shakes Louis. "Hey, Lou, wake up." 

"Fuck off, I'm sleeepppping." Louis draws out the last word, pouting. Harry flips on the car light.

"Louis, there are two cars here. Are we at the right house?" Louis whines at the light and reluctantly opens his eyes, blinking sleepily at Harry.

"I was sleeping," he whines. Harry smiles and points out Louis' window. 

"Is this the right house?" Louis smiles and turns around. He turns white and gets wide eyed and shakes his head. 

"Drive, Harry." His voice is serious and panicked. Harry gets confused. 

"Wh-what? I promised Zayn..." Louis turns at him, hurt and anger in his eyes. 

"Drive, fucking drive. I'm not staying here. Take me to a hotel. Take me home, just drive please, just take me away from here. Fuck Zayn, he'll understand." 

Harry looks at Louis, confusion dancing in his eyes. Then it dawns on him. 

Two cars, two people behind the left window, Colin blowing Louis off. 

Colin is sleeping with someone else and by the way Louis is glaring at the white car, he knows who it is. Harry hits the accelerator, and pulls up a couple houses. He pulls up maps in his phone and hits 'home.' "You can come kip at my place, Louis." Louis doesn't answer, just glares out over the dash, and refuses to acknowledge the tears in his eyes. Harry flicks off the lights overhead and heads home, fifteen minutes away. 

Harry pulls into Liam's parking spot, and turns off the car. "You didn't have to... You could've take me home," Louis whispers. His voice is small, vulnerable. Harry shakes his head. 

"It's fine. We're here. I was closer." Harry doesn't actually know that, doesn't actually know where Louis lives, but he's sure that if Louis interrupts Zayn and Liam, he'll hate himself, at least Harry would and Harry doesn't want Louis upset any more then he already is. "I'll call Zayn in the morning. Let's just get you to bed, hmmm? C'mon." He gets out and heads over to passenger side, opens the door. Louis is spaced out, blinking at the dashboard. "C'mon, Lou, let's get some sleep." His voice is low, comforting. Louis blinks and looks up.

"It's Oli, my best mate from childhood. That was his car. He's...he's supposed to be in Doncaster. I gave him some of those pastries to give to mum. I texted him. She... He said she loves them. He lied to me. I can't... I can't believe this." Harry reaches and grabs Louis' hand, runs his thumb across his knuckles.

"I know how you feel, Louis. My last boyfriend," Harry sighs. "His name was Nick, and... it's gonna be okay, Louis." 

Louis doesn't look so sure, peering at Harry with hurt eyes. "I love him. I thought... That was his bedroom. He lets Oli sleep in his bedroom. I slept in the guest room. I would feel so...I feel so fucking used, like a whore. And he lets..." Harry reaches over and undoes Louis' seatbelt. He tugs Louis out of the car and hugs him. Louis grips his shirt and buries his face in Harry's chest.

"C'mon, Louis, let's get you to bed." Harry plans on putting Louis in his room, as he was the cleanest and just did his sheets this morning. He'll sleep on the couch. Harry keeps one arm wrapped around Louis and tugs him up the steps and into his flat. 

Harry puts Liam's keys on the side table, and Louis puts his phone down too. Harry gives him an inquiring look. "I'll do something stupid if I have it. I do stupid things when I'm drunk. Like call my stupid boyfriend." 

Harry nods and leads Louis upstairs. He flips on the hall light and steers Louis into his room. "Bathroom's through there." Harry points to the slightly ajar door next to his open closet and Louis nods. He slips through the door and Harry goes to his closet and pulls out an oversized David Bowie shirt and then from the drawers next to him, he grabs a pair of sweatpants. He throws these on the bed and and grabs a pair of pajama pants and a old grey shirt from the wardrobe and puts these next to the other set of clothes on the bed. He grabs the sweatpants and t-shirt and turns to knock on the bathroom door, only for Louis to open it before he can reach it. His face and hair are slightly damp and his eyes are empty and sad. 

Harry thrusts the clothes out to him. "Here, you can wear these. They might be a bit big..." Louis grabs them.

"Thank you. It'll be fine." His voice is small and weary, a complete 180• from an hour ago. Harry clears his throat. 

"Do...do you wanna change out here..." Louis nods and Harry passes by him, heads towards the bathroom with his handful of pjs. He closes the door and changes, brushes his teeth, and pulls the unopened toothbrush from his medicine cabinet. He sighs and takes out the three bottles of meds he'll need to take tonight. Harry opens the bottles and tips them one by one into his hand, til two small pills and a horse pill stare up at him. He fills the glass next to his sink with water and pops the pills in his mouth, chases them with water. He uses the toilet and washes his hands, then tidies up the sink, putting back his pills and toothbrush, mopping up a little of the water he spilled. He turns on the water and splashes his face, runs his wet hands through his hair. Then he closes the medicine cabinet and turns off the light before he can catch a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Harry walks out of the bathroom to find Louis sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed in Harry's clothes, his head in his hands. Harry sits next to him, hesitates, then wraps his arm around Louis' shoulder. 

"Hey," Louis mumbles.

"Hey," Harry answers. "You feeling better?" Louis laughs bitterly and shakes his head. Harry tries to keep a pitiful look off his face. Louis leans into Harry.

Harry swallows. "You can...my bed is really comfortable and clean and my mum made the duvet. I put an extra toothbrush out. You can sleep here." Louis looks up at him and shakes his with a small smile on his face. He turns his back to Harry's chest. "What?" Harry asks.

"You've known me a day and you've treated me better then Col...he ever did. You're letting me use your bathroom, your bed. You let me embarrass you and tease you and instead of calling a cab or telling Zayn to fuck off when he asked if you could drive me home so they can go hook up, you drove me to... You could've driven me home or to a hotel but instead you drive me here, to your house. You gave me clothes. The first time I slept with Colin, we'd been dating a month. I thought... He looked at me like I was crazy when I fell asleep after, woke me up and kicked me out. I had to call Zayn to pick me up and I sat in his living room crying. The next time, he let me sleep in his guest bedroom. I've never slept in his bed. But he lets Oli sleep in his bed? They've known each other two years. We've been dating three years. I thought he loved me. I thought we were gonna get married." Louis has tears running down his cheeks and he looks up Harry. Harry is suddenly aware how close Louis is, how close their lips are to touching. 

"I just want to say thank you, I guess," Louis whispers, the words dancing across Harry's lips. It would take a millisecond for Harry to press his lips against Louis'. Louis blinks at him and looks down Harry's face. He's inviting Harry to kiss him, inviting Harry take the first move. But Harry runs his hand through Louis' hair instead. "Yea, any time. You're great." You're great? Harry's regretting it as soon as it comes out. But not as much as he would if he kissed Louis. 

Louis blinks at him and smiles. "I should...I should get some sleep. I'm a little drunk still, I think." But he doesn't move away, just stays twisted in Harry's arms, one of Harry's hands in his hair. And that would be the excuse, 'my boyfriend cheated on me so I slept with the nice guy who gave me his bed because I was drunk.' That is the excuse they'd give Zayn and Liam and Colin. But Harry can't, because he's not drunk, and because he's not Oli or Francois. Because he likes Louis a lot and he doesn't want Louis to regret him. Instead, he trails his hand through Louis' hair one last time and places a butterfly of a kiss on his forehead. Louis closes his eyes. Harry unwinds from around Louis and Louis looks at Harry and nods like he understands; Harry doesn't want to treat him like a whore, to use him when he's vulnerable, to ruin whatever was blooming between them for drunk, upset, revenge sex. Harry grabs his phone and watches Louis climb beneath the duvet, curl around some invisible ghost of a memory, soft and slightly broken, and look at Harry. "Good night, Harry," he says. "Sleep well." 

Harry flicks off the light and whispers into the darkness,"Good night, Louis. Sweet dreams." Then he goes downstairs and pulls the extra blanket and pillow out of the ottoman and flips the futon into a bed. Then he curls up, falls asleep and chases dark haired monsters away from crying, blue eyed dolls, while Louis dreams of green eyed men with kind fingers and tight leather pants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, but important chapter. I thought adding more would take away from the chapter. Chapter six is written, it's just in need of an edit, so expect an update sometime later this week. Thank you for all the lovely comments. Xx 
> 
> Follow me on tumblr for updates at smileformemylovely.tumblr.com xx


	6. Muffins and Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry bakes some muffins. Louis makes a promise. Tattoos are explained.

Harry wakes up unusually early for him. The sun is just rising. He stays in bed for a few minutes; stares at the ceiling fan moving slowly. Above him, Louis is sleeping, curled around in the smell of Harry's detergent. 

He gets up eventually, grabs a bottle of water and some ibuprofen from the kitchen and heads up stairs, silently. Harry slips into his room like a specter. Louis has turned away from the door; his slight frame rises and falls beneath the duvet. Harry places the bottle and the pills on his neat bedside table. He goes into his bathroom, and takes his morning meds. He brushes his teeth, quietly, the med cabinet open as usual; his pill bottles and hair gunk stare back at him, some ironic reflection of himself. He turns off the light and closes the cabinet, averting his eyes. He checks and makes sure Louis is still breathing and hasn't vomited, before heading downstairs. 

Harry pulls out his phone and goes to 'contacts.' Then he hits Zayn's number, raises it to his ear and waits for a recording. 

But instead he gets a gruff "'lo" 

"Zayn? It's uh, it s Harry?" Harry says, anxiety climbing through his chest. 'Fuck off, it's just Zayn. You know Zayn. Kind of. It'll be fine.'

"Yea? Is everything alright?" 

In the background a familiar voice chimes in. "Is that Harry? Lemme talk to him." Harry hears the phone being passed and Liam sighs. "Wassup, Harry?"

Harry thanks the gods. He can talk to Liam. "I just wanted Zayn to know Louis is here." 

"Here? Like at our flat?" Liam says. Harry hears a 'what?' 

"Yea. It's a long story. I think... You should hear it from Louis. He's sleeping." Harry doesn't tell them where. 

"Okay..." 

"Just... When you come here I didn't want Zayn to go Colin's when he's uh, he's here." 

"At our flat." 

Harry runs his hand through his hair. "Yea." 

Liam sighs. "You all right, though?" 

Harry shakes his head even though Liam can't him. "I'm fine. You?" 

"I'm brilliant." Harry can hear the smile in his voice and Zayn's chuckle across the phone. 

"Great. Don't hurry back. You need breakfast? Eggs and bacon in the fridge need to be eaten. There was that sale at tesco's so I bought too much. Maybe invite Zayn? Or would that be weird? He's a nice..." Harry shuts up at Liam's laugh. "Sorry." 

"No, it's fine, Harry. Zayn? Harry wants...oh sure. Here, Zayn wants to talk to you." 

Harry fiddles with his shirt. "Hello?" 

"He alright?" 

"Uhm..." 

"Yea, I thought so. We'll be over there in an hour." 

"Okay." 

Liam takes the phone back. "Apparently we'll be there... well not if you keep... I gotta go. I'll see you... Bye." 

Harry laughs. "Bye, have fun." Liam hangs up at 'have'. Harry laughs to himself and puts the phone down. He heads to the kitchen and pulls out his bowls he got when he first moved. He preheats the oven and starts to pull out his ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, bananas, sugar, an egg, some butter, chocolate chips, walnuts. He measures and weighs everything out and mixes it together by hand. He's whisking the butter in when he hears footsteps on the steps and sees Louis coming, rubbing his eyes and scratching his tummy, showing a strip of skin. Harry feels a slightly domestic; Louis wearing his clothes and him making breakfast is a little homey and it warms his chest a bit. That is, until he sees the redness around Louis' eyes and nose that indicate he's been crying. 

"Good morning," Louis says, blinking sleepily at him and smiling. 

Harry smiles back. "Morning. Feeling okay?" 

Louis nods. "My head is killing me. I'm I might have thrown up in your toilet, but yeah, I'm feeling better." 

Harry wrinkles his nose. "Gross." 

Louis wrinkles his nose back. "What are you making?" 

"Banana muffins. I'll also have some eggs and bacon to make later. Erm, Zayn and Liam are coming over for breakfast." Harry smiles sheepishly. He stirs in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. "Coffee? There's a Kurieg and some pods over there. There's also a kettle for tea on the stove." 

Louis walks over to the stove, and grabs the kettle. "Mind?" 

Harry shakes his head. He breaks up the walnuts to mix in and adds the chocolate chips. Louis puts the kettle on the stovetop and turns on the gas. Harry dishes out the mix into a tin and pops them in the oven. He grabs two cups and the Earl Grey out of the cupboard. "Earl Grey, okay?" Louis nods and leans against the counter, watching. 

"Harry, listen, about last night.." Harry glances at him. 

"About what? Nothing happened. It's fine." 

"No, about me..." 

"Louis, it's fine. Nothing happened. You slept, I slept, you threw up in my toilet. It's all good." He grins at Louis and turns to the fridge. He feels Louis' eyes on him. 

"So you don't wanna talk about it?" 

"Talk about what? Nothing happened. Cream?" He looks at Louis who looks pensive but shakes his head. 

"None for me." 

Harry nods and when the kettle goes off, he puts a bag in each cup. He pours the hot water in each one too, his favorite Packers mug and a striped white and blue with a red inside for Louis, then adds two sugars to his and looks at Louis, who's watching him. "Sugar?" 

"Same. Two, please." Harry drops two cubes in the cup and hands it to Louis, who sets it down. Harry takes a sip then places it next to Louis. "Harry..." Louis takes a step closer. 

"Louis, please. You don't..." 

"I want to kiss you. I'm not drunk." 

"Your boyfriend..." 

"Cheated on me. Is currently cheating on me. Is probably kissing Oli right now. I want to kiss you." 

Louis takes another step forward. Harry looks down at him. "Louis..." 

"Just... Please. I need this." Louis takes another step forward and puts his hands on Harry's chest. "Just a kiss. Please." 

Harry looks down at Louis, who's looking at him and debates with himself. "Louis..." 

"I'm not going to regret it. I won't regret you." 

"Promise. Promise it won't make this weird. I like you... God I want to kiss you, but I've known you twenty four hours and I want to know you a lot longer. So please, just promise me..." Harry hesitatingly places his hands on Louis' hips. Louis rises up and is half an inch away from Harry's mouth when he breathes: 

"I promise." 

Harry leans forward and press his lips to Louis'. His hands wrap around Louis' slim waist and Louis winds his arms around his neck and his lips are warm against Harry's. They're warm and soft and Harry doesn't want him to stop. He kisses Louis harder and Louis pulls away and goes back in, his tongue running across Harry's bottom lip. Harry opens his mouth and darts his tongue into Louis' mouth. He runs his thumb underneath Louis' shirt's hem and Louis smiles into the kiss. He pulls away and Louis starts down his neck, nipping and running his tongue down along the bites he makes. "Louis." 

Louis hums and kisses along Harry's jawline. "Harry." He presses his body along Harry's and Harry realizes how they fit perfectly together, how their bodies align like some celestial puzzle, how if Louis rested his head on Harry's clavicle, their curves and dips would add up to infinity. Louis leans back up and kisses Harry again; some soft, yearning kiss that makes Harry want to give him the world, the stars, the moon on a chain. Harry closes his eyes and Louis kisses his both of eyelids lightly. "You're so pretty." 

Harry smiles. "Are you still drunk?" 

"You kiss well." 

Harry opens his eyes and leans his forehead against Louis. "Louis." 

"Yeah. I know," Louis sighs. "Just... Hold me though? Please?" Harry smiles and blinks at him but doesn't let go. They stay like that, wrapped in each other's arms until the oven timer goes off. Harry sighs and Louis backs away so Harry can pull out the muffins and turn off the oven. Louis steps back towards but Harry leans against the counter instead. 

"Harry." 

Harry glances at Louis, who takes a step closer. He holds out an arm and wraps it around Louis. Louis leans against Harry's warm chest and Harry presses his lips to Louis' head. "We good, Harry?" Harry nods against his head. Louis closes his eyes. 

That had been the best kiss of Harry's life. He hadn't kissed many guys, but this has to be the best. The others must have been too dull, too muffled by his mind, and Nick had just been fire. Every kiss lit every nerve on fire and most kisses had led to either Harry or Nick pushing the other onto a surface and grabbing parts of their bodies. It was hot, it was fire, it was sex. It was some part of Harry he'd left behind a long time ago. But with Louis...

Louis was this ember and that kiss made it warm through his chest and down to his fingers. Louis in his arms made the ember bigger and brighter and it wasn't fire, it wasn't sex, it was... this something that made him crave more. It was a cigarette butt, a burnt out campfire, a whistling kettle. He made Harry feel even, like he could breathe. It was a weird feeling. 

Louis sighs and shifts, closes his eyes. Harry breathes in his scent, holds him a bit closer. Louis looks up at him. Harry presses his lips to Louis' forehead. "I should... Get breakfast started," he mutters, unmoving. 

"Yeah?" Louis breathes. 

"Yeah." 

"Okay." 

"Okay." 

But neither of them move. Not until they hear Liam knocking on the door. Louis moves away and Harry blinks at him. They both move slowly, as if coming out of a daydream. Louis nods and heads to the door, while Harry puts the bowls in the sink and pops the muffins out of the tin onto a plate. He plugs his phone in to the speaker and turns on Rolling Stones, when Liam comes in. "Zayn and Louis are talking on the porch. How're you?" Liam says as he heads straight for the coffee machine. "They don't have coffee, can you believe it?" He puts a pod in the machine and closes it, messing with buttons until it beeps at him. He turns to Harry, who's pulling eggs and bacon out of the fridge. 

Harry nods to the cooling tea mugs. "Louis drinks tea so, yes, I can." Liam laughs and starts cleaning out the sink, putting bowls and utensils in the dishwasher. "Thanks." 

"So where'd he sleep? And why is he in your clothes?" 

"I wasn't going to make him sleep in his dirty clothes." 

Liam quirks his eyebrows. "Where'd he sleep?" 

Harry hems and haws and puts the bacon on to fry. "He slept in my bed. I slept on the futon. Muffin?" He holds the plate out towards Liam, who snags one. "Get out the fruit, and slice it for me, will ya? Fruit salad..." 

"Fruit salad for a bunch of fruits, good joke." 

Harry flips him off. "Fruit salad, bacon, eggs, muffin, coffee, and tea. Am I missing something?" 

"You forgot to buy me flowers." 

Harry gives him an incredulous look. "You were the one who got laid and I'm suppose to buy you flowers? Shit. Flowers. Niall." 

"Flowers make you think of Niall? I knew there was something happening here! He's just too cuddly." 

Harry glares at him, flips the bacon. "We have to get him at two. From the airport. Because we're his good friends. Over easy eggs, ya?" 

Liam nods. "I remembered. I got laid and I remembered. You slept on a floor away from a hot guy and you forgot. You're the bad friend." Harry mimes throwing the spatula at him. Liam ducks, giggling. 

The door opens and closes. Liam and Harry both look towards the entryway. Zayn and Louis walk in, Zayn with his arm around Louis and Louis with a determined look on his face. Zayn smiles at Liam, and Louis nudges Zayn. "Trade places with me, Liam. I'll help Harry, ya?" Harry smiles at Louis. 

"You can cook?" 

Louis shakes his head. "But I can watch." He grins and Harry laughs. He flips Liam's eggs on a plate and adds some bacon.

"How'd you like your eggs, Zayn? There's bacon and muffins, and Liam was supposed to make a fruit salad, but there's some grapes, at least," Harry rambles as Liam heads towards the fridge and pulls out the bag of grapes. He places it on the table next to his plate and Zayn hands him his coffee.

"Sunny side? You got tea too?"

Harry nods. "Yeah. Earl Grey?" 

"Perfect." 

Louis lights up. "That, I can do." He puts the kettle on and grabs a mug and a tea bag out of the same cupboard Harry did earlier. He goes to the fridge for cream. Harry takes off the bacon and add salt and pepper to Zayn's eggs before adding them to a plate. He slips on the bacon and a muffin. Zayn grabs the plate and the cup of piping hot tea Louis made him-splash of cream, three sugars- and sits next to Liam. 

"How do you like your eggs, Louis?" Harry adds some more bacon to the pan and grabs another one for Louis' eggs. 

"Scrambled? Not a fan of fried. Is that...okay?" Louis looks at him and Zayn laughs. 

Harry smiles. "You want cheese in them? I love cheesy scrambled eggs." 

"Sure." 

Harry grabs the block of cheddar out of the fridge and the grater next to the stove and adds butter to the pan. He cracks four eggs in and quickly scrambles them with his spatula. He grates in a handful of cheddar and mixes it up. Louis grabs two plates and Harry flips some bacon onto both of them. He adds the eggs, and puts a muffin on each plate. He turns off the stove and Louis grabs their cold tea, and they head to the table, sitting opposite of Zayn and Liam.

They eat quietly. Forks clinking against plates and tea being sipped is all that is heard. Liam peruses the front page of the paper from yesterday while Zayn glances from his plate to Liam every once in a while. Louis eats staring at the lazy Susan in the middle of the table, grinning at Harry when he first bites into the muffin. Harry picks at his food, eyes darting over Louis and his damn lips every so often. They don't speak, and the silence wraps around them like a blanket, comforting and warm. 

When they're done, Zayn and Liam offer to clean up. Louis and Harry head towards the living room, pulling up the back of the futon to fold it into a couch. They sit next to each other, Louis curling up his legs beside him, Harry sitting cross legged facing him. "They're gonna make out in your kitchen," Louis states. 

Harry shrugs. "Maybe. Good for them. Liam likes him. I hope..." 

"Zayn's not gonna hurt him. He doesn't do one night stands. He has had a couple relationships that started out like this, but they didn't...care enough I guess. Liam cares about him. I can tell. And Zayn has had a huge crush on him forever so..." Louis trails off. He slips a hand over to Harry's and raises it, inspecting his tattoos. "These are nice." He runs a finger along the cross on Harry's thumb knuckle. Harry watches him fondly. 

"Thanks. I love getting tattooed." Harry pulls up his shirt and shows the leaves he got a few weeks ago. "These are my newest." Louis hesitates, but reaches over and runs a finger along the branches. Harry shivers and Louis blinks at him, then crinkles his eyes. He walks his fingers across the right leaf. "This is my favorite," Harry says. He turns and Louis' fingers slip across his skin as he drops his shirt. Louis slides his hand down to Harry's waistband then raises it to touch the tattoo of a handshake Harry points at. 

"A handshake?" 

Harry nods, feeling Louis touching around his arm, running his thumb along the 'sliver spoon' tattoo and Harry stills. "It's an old school sailor tattoo. It means 'equality' now." 

"I have one like that." Louis pulls his fingers away and Harry is briefly disappointed by the cold that's left. He turns and Louis stands up and faces away Harry. He pulls up his pant leg and points to a triangle on his ankle. Harry traces the three points . 

'Do not,' Harry thinks, 'look at his bum.' 

He glances up, just for a moment. Louis pulls away and sits back down. "I don't have as many as you, but I have few." He pulls up the over size sleeve to reveal a stag and a heart. Harry traces the stag, mimicking Louis from earlier. "And this one." He shows his left bicep to Harry. 'Far Away' looks up at them. Harry places runs his thumb along it. Louis looks at him intently. Harry pulls his fingers away, letting Louis drop his arm. 

"Colin never approved. He said they were trashy. Guess that's why he treated me like a whore," Louis says, quietly. His eye darken in anger. 

"What are you going to to do?" Harry asks quietly, dropping his hand.

Louis looks up at him and smirks. He looks exactly like the boy Harry met 24 hours ago, just dressed in his clothes. Harry wants to hug him again. 

"My dear curly, I'm going to get revenge. I'm going to cause the biggest scene, the biggest bitch fit to ever be in London. And I need your help. You'll be invited, of course. But this has to be a secret between you, Zayn, Liam, and I. Am I understood, curly? Ready to help me get revenge on that bastard?" 

Harry can only nod. Looking into Louis' eyes, he can see how determined the other man is to make Colin pay for what he's done. 

Harry reaches for Louis' hand and squeezes it. Louis smiles back at him, and all Harry wants to do is kiss him. To pull him close and pour all of his affection to Louis into his lips, to make Louis see his worth. But he doesn't. 

He just squeezes Louis' hand and swallows, nodding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for reading! Chapter 7 is written and waiting to be edited. I've kinda hit a wall with chapter 8, so I've been trying some drabbley type things. You can find them on my AO3 page. 
> 
>  
> 
> Follow me on tumblr at smileformemylovely.tumblr.com for updates. :)


	7. Let Me Teach You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Louis share a day in with Liam and Zayn. Louis teaches Harry guitar and Harry can't get enough of Louis touching him.

They spend the rest of the day curled up on the futon, watching old movies. Liam and Zayn come out after a half an hour, a hickey blooming on Zayn's neck and Liam's shirt on backwards. Harry and Louis had talked tattoos and there had been a few minutes where Harry had been encouraged to take off his shirt so Louis could inspect his swallows on his chest. He had run his fingers back and forth, fascinated by the swoops and line work. Harry had watched him, taken by his small smile. He put his shirt on when they heard Liam and Zayn come in. They sat in the arm chair, Liam tugging Zayn onto his lap and wrapping his arms around his waist. Harry put on Dirty Dancing and sat next to Louis. He put his hand on the couch and Louis curled up facing Harry, eyes on the tv, his hand a few inches away from Harry's. 

Around noon, Liam and Zayn volunteer to go get lunch at the Indian place next door. They were halfway through The Breakfast Club, after finishing Dirty Dancing. Part way through the first movie, Louis had moved his hand against Harry's, pinkies rubbing against other. After the door closes, Louis covers Harry's hand with his. He peers at Harry but Harry looks away with a small smile on his face. Louis grins and goes back to the movie. 

Liam and Zayn come back, loaded with bags of food, naan and cokes. 

"I'm going to get some tea. Anyone else?" Harry asks, mostly avoiding Louis' gaze. 

"I'll take a cup," pipes Louis. The other boys turn him down. Zayn sits next to Louis, on the opposite side of where Harry had gotten up. Liam looks a little put out, much to Harry's silent amusement. He sends a wink to Liam and Liam rolls his eyes. 

Harry goes to the kitchen, makes two cups of tea, and returns back to living room. He hands the tea to Louis, and sits back down. Louis had scooted over to allow room for Zayn. Their hips touch, which Harry smiles at. Louis glances at him and noticing his smile, doesn't move. And, frankly, Harry doesn't mind. 

Louis, in fact, scoots closer bit by bit during the movie. Their arms end up being pressed against each other after they pile empty containers on the side table. Liam and Zayn offer to get Niall. Louis doesn't mention leaving. Harry doesn't mention it either. Liam and Zayn are too wrapped in each other to notice. Harry gets up to pee and stretch, and points Louis to the guest bathroom. When Harry comes back downstairs, Louis is kneeling in front of their movie collection. Harry sits back down. Louis pulls out Footloose and changes out the DVD player. He returns to the futon, right next to Harry. He pulls his legs around himself and rests his head on Harry's shoulder. Harry wraps an arm around Louis'.

"You're warm," Louis notices. 

"Are you cold? I have blankets, or maybe a sweatshirt?" Harry offers, starting to get up. 

Louis tugs him down. "I'm not cold. You're just warm." Harry chuckles. 

"I do tend to run warmer." It's Louis' turn to giggle. Harry watches him, and Louis looks up at him and grins. He returns his head to Harry shoulder and Harry runs his thumb along the shirt Louis' wearing. Louis hums along with the movie, sometimes slipping into singing with the main actor. 

"You've got a great voice," Harry says. 

Louis blushes, a tinge of red along his cheekbones that kind of drives Harry crazy. "Thank you. I've been singing for a while, since I was five? In the children's choir at church. Thought about auditioning for the X Factor, but my mum couldn't afford the gas to get me there from Doncaster. Do you sing?" 

Harry resists the urge to play with Louis' hair. "In the shower? Yep. My voice isn't as good as yours though." He drags his fingers across Louis' shoulder and tickles his neck slightly. Louis shivers at the touch. He looks up at Harry with lidded eyes. 

"Lips likes yours? I'm sure your amazing." 

Harry swallows and Louis smirks as he feels it. He reaches out and grabs Harry's hand, pulls it up to inspect it. Harry watches. 

"With hands like these, you should play guitar. Or piano." 

Harry strokes the juncture where Louis' shoulder meets his neck. "I played piano actually. As a kid. Wasn't that good." Harry wrinkle his nose at the memory of old Mrs.Watson, with her moth ball smelling house and shiny grand piano, playing chords over and over again until they appeared in his dreams. He had played some piece by Chopin in the fall recital. He'd thrown up from nerves while James Seeley had played before him. 

"I could teach you guitar. You'd be good at that, I imagine. And it would be good practice for me. It'd be fun." Louis runs his fingers over Harry's knuckles, Harry watching with a wistful smile. Louis sits up, making Harry wrinkle his brow. "Here, lemme show you." Harry unwinds his arm from Louis' shoulder. Louis pulls Harry's hand in front of him, and puts the other one in front of his waist. "Like this." 

"Are you showing me how to play air guitar? Is that your speciality?" Louis giggles. 

"Obviously." 

Harry laughs. "Alright then." 

Louis manipulates Harry's hand. "This would be E." He moves Harry's fingers again. "C." He moves his hand back. "E." He moves them again. "C." He looks up at Harry, who's watching Louis. "Are you paying attention?"

Harry moves his fingers. "E." He moves them again, feeling Louis' fingers change with him. "C." Louis grins.

"Look at you. You'll be better then me." Harry laughs.

"I think air guitar is bit different then regular." Louis' grin gets bigger.

"I'll bring a guitar by sometime. I have an old one from secondary school that still plays decent. As a thank you," Louis says. Harry lets his fingers relax a bit. 

"I told you, it was no problem..."

"For everything, curly." Harry shakes his head. 

"Everything is no problem," Harry says. Louis rolls his eyes. 

"Just accept the gift, will you? It's just collecting dust." 

It's Harry's turn to roll his eyes. "It's a guitar." 

"Of which I have five. Or six. Take it off my hands, please." 

Louis returns his head to Harry's shoulder. Harry tangles their fingers together and let's it drop to his lap. Louis sighs. 

It's so right, so perfectly domestic and intimate and Harry never wants Louis to leave, to return to that stupid boyfriend, to sleep in anything but his clothes. But that's not possible, not now. 

They keep like that, Harry's thumb brushing Louis' hand, breaths matching, not watching the movie, but just feeling the other until Niall, Liam and Zayn come bustling in. They move apart and by the frown on Louis' face, he likes moving away as much as Harry does. They talk about dinner at Liam's favorite diner, some dive of a place a block away. Liam, Harry, Niall, and Louis head upstairs to change, Niall offering Louis some jeans and a sweater. Niall and Louis head to Niall's room, and Harry takes a moment to collect himself on his bed. He grabs Louis' clothes out of his bathroom and when he reappears into the hallway, wearing a soft short sleeve grey shirt that might be pajamas, and tight blue jeans, he gives them to Louis. Niall had given him a blue jumper and black jeans and they bring out Louis' eyes so much, they look like jewels. Louis tucks the bundle under his arm to toss into Zayn's car, and looks around before hugging Harry one handedly. He kisses Harry's cheek, lingering, and Harry closes his eyes. He wraps an arm around Louis and hugs him back. 

When Louis draws back, Harry gives him a peck on the lips, which makes the shorter boy blush. Harry wants to stay there, but Louis turns and heads back downstairs. Harry sighs and follows him. After Liam and Niall join them, they walk to the diner. They eat slowly, laughing and talking. Liam has Zayn's arm around him and Harry has Louis pressed against him in the booth. This five some feels as if they'd met before, because jokes fall easily off tongues and chips are stolen off plates with the ease of years long friendship. When they finish, they pay and walk back to Harry's. Zayn gives Harry a quick hug and Niall a bro shake, before turning to Liam. Niall bro fists Louis, tells him to return the clothes whenever and heads up to their flat to grab some sleep. Harry and Louis walk to the trunk, giving Liam and Zayn some privacy to hug and kiss. 

"I'll bring that guitar around some time, yeah? Maybe we'll grab some coffee," Louis says. 

Harry nods. "Sounds great. We'll see each other around." 

"Oh, definitely," Louis says in a whisper. He throws his arm around Harry and hugs him. "Thank you. For everything. I'm serious, curly. You've been amazing." 

Harry hugs him back. "It's no problem, Louis. You're great." Louis kisses him in the cheek on more time before they separate. "We should go get tatted sometime. I'm due." 

Louis grins. "Definitely." Zayn comes over then and asks Louis if he's ready to go. He nods, and thrusts an old receipt to Harry. "I found it in Niall's jeans. It's my number. Text me." Harry nods and grips it like something holy. Zayn and Louis walk to their respective doors and climb in. Harry heads over to stand by Liam. They watch them pull off into the nighttime, then head inside. 

"I'm knackered. Night, Liam," Harry says as he heads upstairs. "We should talk tomorrow. I know you have a lot to tell me." 

Liam nods. "Yes, definitely. See you tomorrow. I'mma have a beer then head to bed myself." Harry grins at him and heads towards his room, stripping to his boxers and doing his bathroom ritual before heading to bed. 

Before he falls asleep, he sends a quick text to Louis. 

'Hey, this is Harry. Just wanted to say goodnight :)' 

He debates sending it with an x at the end for a solid two minutes before hitting the button without it.

A minute later, his phone buzzes. 

'Night curly. Sleep tight :) xx' 

'You too xx' 

Then Harry sets his alarm and drifts off to sleep with a smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the wonderful comments! I have chapter 8 and 9 written, they're just in need of an edit. Be sure to check out my two oneshots I posted for some smutty Larry goodness. Thanks for reading! Xx
> 
> Check out my tumblr for updates and general insanity: smileformemylovely.tumblr.com


	8. You're Sugar to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter: Colin. Stage right. 
> 
> Harry and Louis share secrets on bathroom floors. 
> 
> Liam and Zayn get closer.

Harry and Louis end up seeing a lot of each other over the next two weeks.

Actually, Harry ends up seeing a lot of Zayn and Louis. Not that he's complaining. Zayn's nice and a little reserved and Liam's the happiest he's seen since freshman year. Zayn comes over, or Liam heads across the city to his, most days. Louis comes with Zayn a lot and drives Harry up the god damned wall with the small touches and the gleaming eyed looks. Louis also visits the bakery a couple times, asking Harry on Saturday when he's working and popping in every time. He gets a mocha and a muffin and studies. When Harry's not busy, they joke and Louis tastes some of the new recipes, groaning at every bite in pleasure. A couple days when he comes over, Louis and Harry seclude themselves in Harry's room to practice on the guitar Harry reluctantly accepted, mostly to get Louis to grin. Harry's gotten some chords under his belt, and soon, Louis promises, some actual songs will be learned. He holds his fingers to Harry's as he learns, kneeling next to him, pressing a hairbreadth too close. 

Harry, Liam and Niall wind up the next week at another show at a smaller venue, a bar with mostly an older crowd. Louis and Zayn play some of the raunchier stuff, slipping in covers of classic rock. They sound amazing, and Harry wishes the crowd was brighter about it, instead of hanging back by the bar and stools surrounding the tables. 

Zayn and Louis asked if Harry and Liam could run the merch table, wanting to give Perrie the night off because of her six month anniversary. Harry finds this sweet and agrees. Liam agrees too, mostly because Zayn gives him puppy dog eyes. They don't get a lot of customers and when Zayn and Louis show up, slightly sweaty and grinning, Harry sends Liam and Zayn off with a wink. They go sit in the back, with Niall, on the same side of a secluded booth, holding hands and sharing a plate of chips. Louis runs and grabs a fruity cocktail for him and a coke for Harry, the designated driver for all five of them tonight. Harry accepts it with a smile and Louis sits next to him on the chairs the venue provided. 

They've been chatting a while about some of their favorite songs when a man appears on front of the table. He's shorter then Harry, with tousled light brown hair and brown eyes. He's dressed in a button up blue shirt, black tie, and black pants, a little too formal for the bar. The man appears uncomfortable when he clears his throat, shaking Louis from his chitting about the Rolling Stones. 

"Hey, Louis," the man says. Louis looks up, and a flash of... something mars his face before he feigns surprise. He stands up, followed by Harry. 

"Colin." Louis swallows. "What are you doing here?" 

Colin. 

This was the man that Louis is dating, who is cheating on Louis. 

He looks like a Colin, Harry thinks. 

Louis hurries around and kisses his cheek and hugs him. "Thought I'd surprise you. You've been a little distant and I got off of work early so... Surprise," Colin explains as he grabs Louis' hand. Louis looks down and tries not to pull it away. 

"You missed my set. And this set is almost over." Louis sounds a little hurt, a little distant, a little flat. There's none of his usual brightness, his smiles. Colin purses his lips. 

"Sorry, babe." 

Louis shakes his head. "Whatever. I know you aren't a fan. It's all good." He motions to Harry, who fakes smiles. "This is my...this is Harry." Colin nods at him, fake smiling back. "Lemme get Zayn, they can run the booth and we can grab a drink." Louis detaches his hand and hurries off, a pinched look towards Harry, an I'm Sorry mouthed. Harry smiles at him.

"Harry, was it?" Colin asks. Harry nods. "How was the, the set?" 

Harry grins. "Amazing. Louis' has quite a voice on him." 

Colin looks at him, and picks up a t shirt. It's the same one Harry has on, a graffitied logo on purple. "Do you think I should change? Is this..." he holds up the shirt in question, "...better? Maybe Louis would like it?" Harry shrugs. 

"You should ask Louis." Harry looks at the booth. Zayn's frowning and Niall's bobbing his head to the music. 

Colin sighs. "I've been working a lot, and I wanted to surprise him. I don't know why he's been distant lately. Has he said anything to you?

Harry shakes his head tersely. 'Other then the fact you're sleeping with his best friend,' he thinks. 

Louis walks back over, picks up his drink and sips. "Harry, do you want to join us? Liam and Zayn are gonna come run the table." Harry flicks his gaze to Louis, who 's pleading with his eyes. Harry nods. He grabs his drink and they walk back to the booth. They pass Liam and Zayn on the way and Zayn eyes Colin. Liam raises his brows to Harry and Harry shrugs. They get to the booth and Louis downs his drink before looking at Colin. 

"I have a tab if you want a drink. I want a lime vodka martini, if you go." Louis says. Colin nods and heads back to the bar. Louis slides in opposite Niall and Harry sits next to Niall and snags a chip from Liam's abandoned plate. Usually, Harry would sit next to Louis and Louis would press their knees together but not today. Louis moves his foot under the table to seek out Harry's, looking for comfort. Colin comes back and puts the drink down, scotch and water, and the green martini. Louis downs half of the drink while Colin sits. 

"Hi! I'm Niall." The heavy Irish brogue seems to shock Colin, who looks up.

"Colin." 

"Ah! The mysterious boyfriend." Louis puts on a painful smile. Harry adjusts his foot so they rub ankles. Louis gives him grateful look. Colin seems oblivious. 

"Did you enjoy the set, Niall?" Louis asks. Niall nods and starts blabbing away about something. Harry feels the uncomfortable waves that come off of Louis when Colin wraps his arm around his shoulder. He hooks his ankle around Louis', not looking at him. Louis was usually the one to initiate contact but tonight he seemed to need Harry to do it. 

Colin takes a sip of his scotch and kisses Louis' cheek. Louis looked like he was able to push aside his feelings and put a mask of indifference on. He moves a little closer to Colin, pressing his ankle closer to Harry's. 

"How was work?" Louis asks, looking up at Colin. 

"Fine. I finally convinced them to hire your friend Oliver. He great with numbers, just brilliant," Colin says. Louis closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. 

"You're working with Oli?" His voice is tense, but Colin doesn't acknowledge it.

"Yeah, I needed an assistant guy to help me now that we've grown a bit. I remembered your friend had graduated with a finance degree and messaged him on Facebook. He's been great. He, uh, didn't tell you?"

Louis shakes his head and downs the rest of his drink. "'Sucse me, I need to pee." Colin stands up and Louis hurries out to the back. Harry watches him go. 

Colin frowns. "Did I upset him? Oliver's been a great help, I thought he'd be happy." 

"He said earlier he wasn't doing too great. Let me bring him some water," Harry says. He steals away to the bar, leaving Niall, who can get along with anyone, to entertain Colin. He gets a bottle of water and heads to the bathroom. He knocks on the door. 

"Louis? It's Harry. I brought you some water," he calls out. "Come on, Lou. Do you wanna talk?" 

The door opens and Harry goes in to find Louis sitting on the toilet, head between his hands. 

"I told Colin you weren't feeing well," Harry says, holding out the bottle. 

"He hired Oli. He hired the guy he's sleeping with." Louis sounds hard, biting. 

Harry puts the bottle on the sink and kneels next to Louis. He puts his arm around his shoulder and rubs Louis' arm. "I know. I'm sorry, Louis." 

Louis looks at him, then leans his head into Harry's shoulder. Harry shifts, and wraps his other arm around Louis. It's awkward for Harry, but he doesn't mind. 

"Why?" Louis whispers. "I know we're two different people, but..." He bites his lip.

"It's not you, Louis. No normal person would ever cheat on you. It's him." 

"I've been wondering if I should just break this off." 

Harry runs his hand through Louis' hair. "You could. Nobody would blame you." 

"But this revenge would be so sweet." 

"It would be awesome. And embarrassing, which I wholeheartedly agree with." Louis chuckles, before scotching over off the toilet and sits down on the floor next to Harry. Harry shifts to sitting cross legged, and returns his arms around Louis. Louis curls into Harry's side and puts his head back on his shoulder. Harry aches to pull him in his lap, to kiss him and hold him and never let him go. But he settles for leaning his head on Louis. 

"I wish..." Louis starts, cutting off with shake of his head. 

"What?" Harry asks. He strokes Louis' arm and Louis shakes his head again. "It's okay, tell me." 

"I wish I met you sooner. I wish I was dating you." Louis starts to shift away. Harry holds him tighter. 

"I wish... I wish the same. I wish I could take this heart break. I wish I could spend forever just holding you." Louis looks up and their lips are an inch apart. Harry hesitates before leaning in and kissing Louis softly. "I'm so sorry." 

Louis kisses him again, soft and sweet. "Thank you," he says. "For everything."   
Harry leans his forehead against Louis' and nods. 

He was most definitely falling for Louis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thanks for reading! I have chapter 9 written, but I'm having trouble with chapter 10, so that might be a while. I'm trying tho! 
> 
> Check out my other stories I have posted! 
> 
> Follow me on tumblr at smileformemylovely.tumblr.com for updates and general one direction posts.
> 
> Thank you again for reading and commenting! Xx


	9. Can't Just Stay Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arguments.

They sit on the floor for a while, Harry just holding Louis, running a hand through his hair. When they hear a knock on the door, Louis jolts. They both stand up and dust off their bums. Harry kisses Louis' cheek softly and squeezes his hand, before they walk out. Colin's standing there with a strange look on his face. 

"Just checking on Louis. You've been in there for a while," he says. 

"I needed to throw up. Harry was helping me. Can you take me home? I'm not feeling good," Louis says. Harry reaches back, grabs the bottle of water and presses it to Louis' hand. Louis looks down and then back. "Thanks. Sorry about tonight."

Harry smiles at him. "It's fine. I'll text you later? Feel better." Louis purses his lip into a smile and turns around and wraps Harry in a hug. Harry squeezes him back and rubs his shoulder blades. Louis looks at him and nods and then Colin slips his hand in Louis'. "Bye, Colin, it was nice to meet you." Colin nods back.

"Nice to meet you, too, Harold." Harry makes a face towards Colin's back when he turns around. 

"Nice to meet you, too, Colin," Harry says. 

"Hang on." Louis turns back around and shove his hand in his pocket. He pulls out a twenty pound note and shoves it at Harry. "For the tab." 

Harry shakes his head. "I got it." 

"You didn't even drink, Harry. This is for me and Colin. Take it." 

"Consider it payment for the guitar lessons you're insisting on being free," Harry smirks at Louis. Louis rolls his eyes and reaches forward. He tucks the bill in Harry's front pants pocket. 

"Those are mutually beneficial. Take the money, Harry." Harry mock glares at Louis. 

"Fine." Louis grins at him. 

"Guitar lessons?" Colin says. "When did you start teaching guitar?" 

"I want to teach music, Colin. You haven't been too busy at work for that. Harry here wanted to learn guitar..." 

Harry cuts in. "Was forced by Louis, who is very persuasive..." 

Louis shakes his head and rolls his eyes. "... so I'm teaching him. It's practice for me, too. Harry can be difficult." 

Harry sticks his tongue out at Louis. "Not my fault." 

Colin shifts uncomfortably. "Well, we better be off. Do you want to go to mine, love?" 

Harry sees Louis shove a fisted hand in his hoodie. "No, thanks. I'd rather go home and sleep in my own bed. The guest room isn't as comfortable as you think. And Zayn won't be there, so it'll be quiet." 

Colin twitches his lips at the mention of the guest room. "Would you...would you like me to sleep over?" 

"No, I know how you feel about your space. It's fine." Louis looks down and examines his shoes. 

"Are you sure?" 

"Just take me home, Colin. I need some Advil and sleep." Louis sounds annoyed. 

"Did I do something to upset you? I'm trying to be supportive, Lou." 

Louis scowls. "By showing up after my set. I know you don't like my music, I know you don't like my tattoos, I know you don't approve of all of this. But that's just embarrassing. And then you want me to just go to your house, get fucked, and sleep alone. That's even more embarrassing. If you actually cared, maybe you would've showed up earlier. Maybe you would let me sleep in your bed. But now, I want to go home. I want sleep in my bed, alone, by my choice."

Colin pulls his hand away from Louis and reaches in pocket to pull out his keys. "Maybe we should talk later." 

Louis cocks his head. "I've said all I needed to." 

Colin pulls back. "What the fuck is your problem, Louis?!" His voice is loud. "I leave work early, I come to your show at a bar I hate, I try to be supportive, but you push me away and spend most of the evening in a bathroom with some tattooed skank!" 

"Don't talk about Harry that way!" Louis admonishes. "He's treated me better then you ever did!" 

"Are you sleeping with him?" Harry coughs and makes eye contact with Louis. Louis closes his eyes. 

"I'm not sleeping with him. He's a friend, a good friend. You would know that if you ever left work for longer then a fuck and a sleep." He turns away from Colin and marches off. 

Colin turns to Harry. "Stay away from my boyfriend. I don't trust you." 

Harry snorts. "That's not your decision. I have no interest in sleeping with someone in a committed relationship. Maybe you should go catch up with Louis." Colin glares at him. "Maybe if you stopped treating him like a fucking whore and treated him like the person he deserves, he wouldn't be so mad. Louis deserves the god damned world, not a fucking guest room and boyfriend who..." Harry stops himself. 

"A boyfriend who what?" Colin dares. 

"Who doesn't love him the way he should be loved." 

"You have no right. No god damned right. Stay away from Louis. I know what you want." 

Harry glares at him. "Excuse me, I have to leave before I punch you." He stalks away to the booth where Louis is sitting with Zayn. Niall and Liam are nowhere to be seen. He slides in next to Louis, ignoring the empty side. Louis has his head on the table and Zayn has an arm around his shoulders. He looks at Harry and quirks an eyebrow. 

"You okay, mate?" 

Harry nods. He runs a hand through Louis hair. "Lou, you okay?" Louis shakes his head. Harry puts his down sideways on the table, looking at Louis. He puts his hand on Louis' neck and plays with the end of His hair. Louis sighs and turns his head. 

"I'm sorry. He had no right..." 

Harry shakes his head. "I got a few words at him alright. It's fine." 

Louis sits up and Harry follows. He grabs Louis' hand and squeezes. "Want me to take you home? It'd be no problem," Harry says. Louis bites his lip. 

"Could I, maybe, sleep over at yours? I don't want..." 

Harry cuts him off. "Of course. Anytime, you're always welcome, Louis." Louis smiles at him gratefully. 

"Don't...don't tell Colin. Either of you. I don't want to cause a fuss...yet." 

Harry nods and Zayn squeezes Louis' shoulders. "I'm not telling that bastard anything. I still say you should dump him on his ass and take up with me and Liam." Zayn plants a wet kiss on Louis' cheek. "We'd be the hottest boys in town. Maybe Harry here could join us." Louis laughs. Harry sucks his teeth a little. 

"Zayn, honestly, I love you, man, but no thanks. That'd be way too weird." Zayn looks over Louis' head to look at Harry and smirk. Harry shakes his head. 

"I'm gonna tell Colin to go home. He's at the bar drinking, maybe I should call a cab..." Louis pushes into Harry's side to get him to stand up. 

"Want me to tag along?" Harry asks, standing up and stretching his neck a little. 

Louis shakes his head. "That'd piss him off more. I don't want him to dump me. I should be the one doing that." 

"I'll call a cab," Zayn offers, pulling out his phone. 

"Let me go tell Niall and Liam the plan. We should leave soon." 

Louis nods. "As soon as the cab gets here. I...I want to make sure he get home okay." 

Harry nods understandingly. Zayn gets on the phone and Harry and Louis head their separate ways. 

When Harry gets to the merch table, Niall's flirting with some girl with a nose piercing and wrist tattoo. She picks up a cd and pays for it, handing over the money and a post it note with her number on it. Niall grins. Harry waits until she walks away. 

"We're gonna leave soon. Louis is calling a cab for Colin. He's gonna kip at our place. I assume Zayn is, too?" Harry asks. Liam nods. They start boxing everything up and Liam and Niall carry the two plastic cases out to Harry's car. Harry heads back to the table to find Colin, Louis and Zayn standing by it. Louis is sucking down another green drink and Colin is watching him. Zayn's on his phone, his eyes sliding over to Colin every once in a while. Colin narrows his eyes at Harry when he approaches but stays quiet. 

"Boys are loading up the car," Harry says. He picks up his coke and downs it. He sees the full bottle of water on the table and hands it to Louis. 

"Thanks, curly. Cabs' are on their way. I'm gonna take one home," Louis says. He winks at Harry when Colin turns his attention to the TV showing the news above the bar. 

"I don't understand why you won't ride with me, Louis." 

"Our houses are in opposite directions and I don't want to spend so long in a cab." Louis says tensely. Colin turns to him and wraps his arms around Louis. Harry turns away because it looks wrong. 

 

"So come to mine, love. You can sleep with me, I'll make those crepes you love, and we can snuggle in the morning. I didn't know you didn't like the guest room." 

"Yes, you did. And I told you, I want to sleep in my bed. You're just trying to get me to not be mad with you. It's not working." 

Colin leans his head on Louis'. "Lou..." 

"No. I have nothing to say." 

"Will you call me tomorrow, at least? Let me take you out tomorrow. I'm not working. We can go to that Italian place..." 

Zayn coughs. "We have Perrie's house party tomorrow. It's kinda big for us." 

"I told you that last week. You can come, if you'll behave and not call my friends skanks. That's what I want. I want you to see me play." 

Colin sighs. "Will that make you happy?" 

Louis pulls away and glares at him. "Yes, but you should go because it's your boyfriend and you should be supportive of me, not because I'm mad." 

"I'll go because I support you, babe. I really do, I just don't fit in those places you usually play at." 

Louis' face softens and he reaches both hands out for Colin's. "You could try. I'm not asking you to change, I'm asking for your support." 

"I'll try, babe." 

Louis sets his jaw and looks away. "We should go outside." 

They trundle out side, Harry slipping twenty pounds for the tab to Zayn, who heads to the bar. Liam and Niall are waiting by the front, talking to the girl from inside. Niall waves them over.

"Hey, this is Melissa. She's a fan of yours, Louis." 

"Yeah? Nice to meet one! You, curly, and Liam over here make three, which is three more then I ever dreamed of." Louis smiles and charms Melissa, who looks pleased. 

"My friends had to leave for work, but they're big fans too. So that's five." 

Louis laughs. "Five! You hear that, five fans! Dive bars tonight, stadiums tomorrow!" Everyone laughs, except Colin, who is glaring at Harry. Harry ignores him. 

"We're playing a house party tomorrow. I know the host, she said invite whomever. You want to come, Melissa?" Louis asks. Niall grins. 

"I'd love, too!" She looks excited. "I actually gotta go, Niall, could you message me the info?" Niall nods. They share a smile and Melissa walks off. A cab pulls up and rough looking man pokes his head out the window. 

"Colin?" 

"You take this one, you look exhausted." Colin goes to the door and opens it, looking at Louis. 

Louis shakes his head. "I want to say good bye to Zayn. Take it, Colin. I'll call you tomorrow. " 

Colin walks over to Louis. "Bye, love." He leans down for a kiss but Louis turns his head. Colin settles for a cheek. 

"Bye, Colin," Louis says. Colin looks disappointed and glares at Harry, who returns it this time. Then, he gets in the cab and tells the cabbie his address. The cab pulls away. 

"I bet he's calling Oli," Louis says bitterly. "Good. He make him crepes and all that shit." 

Harry wraps an arm around Louis. Louis presses against his side. Zayn comes out and Liam pulls him in for a hug and a kiss. Niall groans. 

"Fucking lovebirds, gonna keep me up all night." 

They all laugh, and head to the car. Louis sits up front and The rest squash in the back, Liam slightly on Zayn's lap. 

Louis reaches for Harry's hand on the gear shift and holds it all the way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. I'm lost with this fic. I have no idea where I'm going. I don't know when the next chapter will be posted. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, it's a little fillery. 
> 
> Follow me on tumblr: smileformemylovely.tumblr.com


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